Webber working on an autobiogrpahy

A couple years ago we saw an amazing 30 for 30 about the Fab 5, but one persepctive was missing — Chris Webber's. Soon we'll finally (we hope, at least) get his side of the story when he releases his autobiograhy.

Although I'm sure he'll also write about other things, I think it's fair to say MGoBlog Nation will skip straight to the Michigan years.

I profiled Chris Webber in last week's Sports Illustrated -- he's become one of the more interesting NBA voices as a studio and game analyst for NBA TV and TNT -- and during our conversation he told me that he's been working on a documentary about his life for the past six years. Webber said he plans to release both the documentary and an autobiography at some point next year and the working (but unlikely final) title is The Black Forrest Gump.

Your knowledge and insight continue to be unparalleled. From yesterday:

I reading on the Michigan Recruiting HQ from someone that goes to his school and knows Ty says that Ty Issac is looking for a school that will offer him cash under the table, aka Pay to Play. For some reason he thinks Michigan may budge this time. I highly doubt they will, though. The focus should be on Green.

True, but there was another post up a few days ago with the article that discusses the autobiography. The writer asked Webber point blank whether he would have anything in the book on his days at Michigan and the scandal and he basically said yes. Now that doesn't go so far as saying he going to talk all about it but, in his defense (not sure why), the OP was at least partially correct.

My post was meant as sarcastic because I really doubt Webber is going to say anything along the lines of admitting to taking money. But you can go ahead and mark Uncle Tony's post as trolling if you want. Feel the chi!

Fair point, but my problem with this obviously isn't that he hurt ESPN's ratings. The venue for that documentary was irrelevant to me.

The rest of his teammates, some of whom made similar mistakes, came together to tell a story that is both important and sad for Michigan athletics. I don't like the idea that he refused to join his teammates in order to possibly squeeze a few dollars out of the Michigan fans whose basketball program was so badly compromised by his actions.

I think it's inappropriate to financially profit from some things. This is one of them.

Webber wasn't even my favorite player of the Fab Five. Jalen had preternatural savvy, and Juwan's post play was a thing of beauty. Webber had a way of disappearing on the floor for stretches, especially on defense. Purely as a player, he became most enjoyable to watch later in his NBA career after the injuries forced him to become a consistently brilliant inside passer.

I'll read the book with gritted teeth, unless it gets reviewed as a total weasel job. I'd like to be able to ignore it but for better and especially worse, he played a huge role in my fan life. It's morbidly fascinating that someone so intelligent and gifted blew it so spectacularly (and I'm not talking about the timeout).

Maybe I am naive, but I'll always love Chris Webber. As a little kid he was the first basketball player that I can remember as my "favorite player." Maybe I might have different feelings towards him if I was older when the whole thing happened.

I want to know if he heard someone call timeout from the bench. Also, will be interesting to hear other stories from the Fab Five days to add to the 30 on 30 special. And, of course, the whole Ed Martin story would be nice too.

Based on everything that has come out of Chris Webber's mouth (or, rather, what hasn't) over the past 20 years, I can think of very little that could come out of this autobiography that would make me think any differently about the six figures that showed up in his family's bank account, and the lack of remorse he has shown for what it has wrought on Michigan Basketball.

If anything, it just shows he won't do anything unless he's getting paid for his efforts, whether it's play college basketball, or coming clean for not following the rules when he did. This is a self-serving move that just happens to come at the same time that his period of mandatory banishment from association with Michigan expires. Sheer opportunism, and if Michigan has a shred of integrity left, there should be no response.

We've moved on, past the darkness of the sanctions era, and for once, we have something to show for it. There's no need to take away or distract from what these great kids are doing right now, who are doing things the right way, by letting Chris Webber weasel his way in with a lucrative book deal that will pay him enough to say what he should have been saying all along.

Yeah he doesn't need the money. His NBA days (90s, early 2000s) came at a time when guaranteed contracts were mindblowingly huge. The league was riding the MJ gravytrain and .com boom. When guys like Stephon Marbury, Jayson Williams(murderer) and Bryant "Big Country" Reeves are getting max deals you know it's out of control.

Plus, Webber's probably making decent money with his TNT and NBA TV gigs. So no, I don't think this is merely a money grab

I know that many here hate him for what he allegedly did, but people need to understand that when he allegedly took $, he was a kid. Was it wrong? Absolutely. Did fans have a right to be pissed / disappointed / angry? definitely.

But, whatever he did or didn't do happened 20 year ago. During the whole fab 5 debacle, I wad way more disappointed in the adults and coaches who either facilitated any violations or turned a blind eye.

I agree with you that the adults in his world bear the culpability in the legal sense for whatever happened, but you speak of Chris as though he was some fresh-from-the-womb naif who was helplessly buffeted by the swirl of greedy adults around him. Webber knew exactly what he was doing, and he played the situation as cynically as his parents did.

For one thing, he may have been covering for his parents. Not trying to let him off the hook, but I'm always surprised at how fans assume they've got the whole story. I'm looking forward to hearing what he's got to say, myself, and even might withhold judgement until I can absorb it.

Spoiled, self-centered, pampered super athlete takes thousands of dollars from a jock-sniffing bookie, gets caught, and defiantly tries to defend his actions. The school is hammered with major violations and suffers irreparable damage to its image.

on U-M's campus. And I'll be the last person to buy or read his autobiography. But I'm fully expecting he'll write a long, nauseating diatribe about how much he was "exploited" by others for financial gain. And the part about the wake of destruction he left behind will be conveniently left out.

It's normal to want to remember the good things that happened from an era and forget about the really bad stuff. But in this case, when I see Chris Webber either on TV or in the newspaper, all I remember is a lying, self-centered person who doesn't care about the negative impact his actions had on many others as well as his former school.

Hmm, I've been looking in ALL of UM's official information about the basketball team in the early 1990's, and don't see any references to any "Chris Webber." Did he really come to UM?

Srsly... It's odd so many UM guys still have high views of him. He destroyed the program. And he's never publicly apologized for it. He lied to the unversity. While I understand he was deeply motivated by the unfairness of the situation, and surely was tempted beyond all belief, at some point he made a conscious decision to cross lines, lie, and act like the victim. He knew he had millions coming to him from the NBA; many other kids that came out of his situation, or worse -- even Jalen and Juwan -- find the capacity to wait until that payday. He was too weak, he didn't.

I know this is a Chris Webber hatefest and all, but he didn't ruin Michigan basketball. We didn't not go to the NCAA tourney for over a decade (only 1 of which we were ineligible for) because of Webber, we didn't go because we hired shitty basketball coaches.

We already have Webber's side of the story. It goes something like this:

"Everything is somebody else's fault. I did nothing wrong. Anyone who disagrees with me can kiss my ass. Taking responsibility for one's actions is for the little people."

Until he called in to WDFN in their early days, I thought Webber would be entertaining, and I really wanted to hear what he had to say. Sadly, he was rude, curt, and totally unrepentant and/or unaware of his own shortcomings.

This is one University of Michigan book/movie I won't buy, because it was never about the University of Michigan for Chris Webber; it has always been all about Chris Webber. Besides, I'm sure he will make enough controversial statements that nobody will actually have to read the book or see the movie. All of the "good stuff" will be reported and discussed ad nauseum.

"The Black Forrest Gump?" I hope Winston Groom sues him if he actually uses that title.

For example, what if the reason CWeb hasn't spoken on this topic is that his father took the money, and CWeb saw little of it himself? One can imagine many similar situations. Doesn't make it right, but a number of scenarios could make CWeb seem a little more of a sympathetic player from that sordid time.

We don't really know all the details, so to judge so harshly without all the information is likely premature (IMHO). Of course, this probably wouldn't be the first time for such a thing to occur on the internet...

I did love those Fab Five teams. Right down to the last minute they all played together. After that timeout, let me tell you, it was a long drive back to Ann Arbor.

It's been 20 years! He's had time to clear the air if he wanted. If only they had made an indepth study of the time period that he and his teammates could get out their side of the story and shown it somewhere for everyone to see....

If after that long with all those opportunities you don't have anything to say, it's not "the internet's fault" for assuming you have something to hide.

After watching Jim Tressel be carried on the shoulders of an entire university on Saturday, it just drove the point home for me: no matter how successful Chris Webber was at Michigan, until there is acknowledgment and contrition, there should be no support. Watching the Tressel spectacle was stomach-turning. I want no part of that kind of hypocrisy.

You make a great point and it kind of makes me look at Webber differently. I was in school during the Fab 5 era and it was spectacular. The basketball games were amazing and the buzz around them was great fun to be a part of (I worked a few hours as a student at Crisler at the time and got to sit on the court during games). I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. But I graduated before all the sh-t went down and don't have the bad taste like others that came after me so I don't appreciate all the hate. But analogizing the situation to Tressel being honored is spot on and I think my feelings about Webber being welcomed back have changed.

If you bring the Tressel thing up, as a Michigan fan, it can sound like sour grapes, but among my friends who are non-Michigan and non-Ohio State fans, they were all appalled. It was like a big Fu** You to the NCAA.

I love the different reactions from people. I try to keep things in perspective and realize that many student athletes are students in the simplest definition of the word, especially in college basketball. Michigan profited off of the Fab Five, and I think if most of us were completely honest we would have taken the money too, given Webb's background. I don't think Chris Webber should be the scapegoat for what happened since it was a systematic problem. I blame the boosters, the coaches and mostly the administration.

From what I understand, Webber was from a pretty stable, middle-class (or at least lower-middle class) family. He was not as poor as Jalen Rose or Juwan Howard, and they didn't take big bucks from Martin (Rose admitted taking small amounts).